Actual power shortfall at least 7000MW, official records reveal

ISLAMABAD: The actual shortfall in power generation in the country is much greater than the 3,100 MW claimed by the government, computerised records of the National Power Control Center (NPCC) reveal.

The federal government has recently set up a computerised control room for real-time monitoring of power generation, supply and load-shedding across the country.

At the launch on Monday, Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali had said that the total generation currently was about 11,000MW and there was a shortage of 3,100MW.

However, computerised records of the NPCC’s software reveal that the actual power shortfall stands at around 7000MW.

According to the NPCC records, total power generation through various sources was recorded at 10,893MW on Monday, while the demand for electricity on the same day around 12:45 pm was at 17,850MW, showing a shortfall of at least 6,957MW.

When asked, Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali admitted that the actual shortfall stands at 7000MW as per the total electricity demand all over the country.

However, he said that the government calculates power shortfall from the quotas allocated to Discos, rather than the total demand. “If a Disco gets less from its allocated quota, we count it as power shortfall,” he said.

Secretary Water and Power Saifullah Chatha confirmed the numbers.

Photo shows actual demand and generation numbers as displayed on the screen of the NPCC software.

“Yes, these are the actual figures. This is the online and real-time data that tells the true picture about the load on system of the NTDC, including power generation and distribution,” he said.

According to the computerised data of the NPCC on Monday at 12:45 pm, electricity demand of PESCO was 1,832MW, while it was drawing only 1020MW.

Similarly, TESCO’s demand was at 229MW while it could draw only 46MW, and IESCO could draw only 1,125MW against a demand of 1,645MW.

GEPCO could draw only 907MW against demand of 1,509MW, while LESCO could draw 2,142MW against demand of 3,583MW.

FESCO was drawing 1,095MW against demand of 2,195MW, while MEPCO was drawing 1,398MW against demand of 2,995MW.

SEPCO could draw 529MW against 1,026MW demand, HESCO could draw 563MW against 852MW demand, and QESCO drew 530MW against a demand of 1,481MW.

Only K-Electric, previously known as KESC, could draw the 504MW against its demand of 504MW.

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Comments (15) Closed

syed wasim haider

May 06, 2014 09:12pm

In his pre election speeches Mr. Shahbaz Shareef use to promise that PML-N will overcome load shedding within 90 days by claiming that they will overcome the shortfall with honest management; now the shortfall according to Mr. Shere Ali is 7000 MW. Who is to be taken serious? This is a big question before the masses of Pakistan.

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Sajjad Khan

May 06, 2014 09:36pm

Yes , there is load shedding and I ask myself how much is it due to pilferage, theft by influentials i.e. non payment of bills and last but not least a country without any visible government, except the rule of 5 people named Sharifs. This problem will only be solved thru market economy and not thru programmes for the poor etc. and then begging the international community for money. This is what has destroyed this country nothing less than that.

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Farhan

May 06, 2014 10:41pm

Atleast the govt put up the software to get actual data and got rid of corrupt bureaucracy showing the wrong picture

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Aamir

May 06, 2014 11:41pm

Corrupt government can not resolve any issues for our people. Revolution of the poor for the poor is coming.

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Awan

May 07, 2014 12:15am

First of all kindly dont call it a Federal Government. In Actual It is a ""Nawaz Royal Family Along with Friends Government."". What qualification does Abid Sher ali to run this Ministry?. Abid Sher Ali has nothing to do with Science and Technology. Just ask Abid Sher ali what is meant by a Megawatt and i am sure he will be looking at your face The only form of Competence in the Nawaz Government is that you are a friend or a family member of Nawaz and the ministry is yours. Able people never get to the top spot at all.

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Pakistani

May 07, 2014 02:13am

It's not the first time in last decade that short fall reaches to 7000 MW. Then why this is suddenly a big news. Moreover Government is sincerely trying to over come the crisis which we are all responsible with the mismanagement, theft, poor lining losses and many other factors are all contributed in this crisis. We all know no government can over come it in one year but we' ll see and check after 5 year how much they really over come on this issue and this is not the only issue country is facing. So government is fighting on different fronts. Let's give government chance and appreciate their good works in right direction instead of criticism for the sake of criticism.

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David Salmon

May 07, 2014 02:14am

I sure hope PM Nawaz Sharif's plans for dams and power plants are based upon the real shortage and not the artificial numbers made public.

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Ahmer

May 07, 2014 04:22am

The PML(N) is not responsible for the shortfall but they are certainly guilty of lying about it to the masses.

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Salman Ahmed

May 07, 2014 04:40am

If they cant even give you honest numbers, do you really believe that will solve the problem?

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Adnan

May 07, 2014 04:44am

@Farhan - This software was setup and approved by caretaker government...

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Sodomite

May 07, 2014 04:59am

What happened to Rs. 500 Billion which was paid to the IPPs? Weren't they meant to produce power which they did not in the past? I guess it went into someone's pocket and that was that. Ant guess?

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Shakil Khan

May 07, 2014 05:50am

If Electricity could be produced by "talks" only, our politicians would have made surplus by now! The truth they only talk and never ever take actions, they take ministries and government as a perk and to make money. The real job as minister or a government, acting and delivering tangible results, they dont do at all! These mindless twats let Pakistan down with only boasting statements, time is over for such silly slogans that means nothing! People either have light from a blub or not, its black and white! not a talk in thin air!

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ali

May 07, 2014 09:12am

Oh horrible! This worse situation of scanty power generation and weak distribution system should immediately be changed. Otherwise Pakistan will not cope up with its demand/supply ratio for any sorts of physical progress. Can govt do that or make a better to that?

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Daniyal

May 07, 2014 09:16am

This is not news. Any one who knows any one involved in the power production projects would have known that the power deficit is around 7000 MW, and it has been successfully kept at 7000 MW for the last 5 years. If Kalabagh had been built, the deficit, although still existent, would have been around 3000 MW. I have it from a highly reliable source that the Bunji power-plant (with a production capability of nearly 7200 MW) has successfully finished the design stage and will be be constructed by 2022. It is projected that with the completion of Bunji, the power deficit will still linger around 7000 MW. The key is to allow private investors to buy into the power-market. This will ensure that the government gets help with funding, and also the running of the power plants will improve as producers will be looking for a profit, and will actively hunt down power thieves. This has been proven successful in Karachi with the KESC, and I don't see any reason why it shouldn't work across the country as well.

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Tamza

May 07, 2014 10:38am

Is this a 'masses' of Pakistan problem ... OR for the elites of Pakistan? Masses dont really have access to electricity. It is the elite whose ACs etc cause the peaking.

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